23 May 2012

I passed by the old Catene Deli on 9th Street and Fourth Avenue in Park Slope today and found a big sign draped over the old sign saying "For Lease." Guess I'm late to this: the place closed in October after 46 years of operation, under the same family.

The small joint (it was tiny inside and strictly take-out) was opened in 1965 by Vincent Cervasio after he had cooked for more than a decade in the kitchen of the MetLife Building. Later it was run by his son, Vincent Cervasio Jr. As the sign states, fried calamari was the specialty. You could order a fried calamari on a hero.

Not a famous institution. Not a historic eating destination. But the sort of local culinary landmark that you like to see anchoring a neighborhood. Sad.

The deli I was told originated in the corner spot (now a bodega) before shifting next door to it's current (and final) location. The sandwiches were very good and the family very nice. I lived around the corner for 12 years until, funny enough, October.

The original, running Jeremiad on the vestiges of Old New York as they are steamrolled under or threatened by the currently ruthless real estate market and the City Fathers' disregard for Gotham's historical and cultural fabric. Est. January 2006.Contact Me

About Me

I have lived in New York City since 1988 and earn my bread as a writer. I began this blog in January 2006. Beyond that, don't be so nosy.
"I am not a pessimist; to perceive evil where it exists is, in my opinion, a form of optimism."
—Roberto Rossellini